The present disclosure relates to a hospital bed with a sleeping surface adjustable in height and/or incline. More particularly, the present disclosure concerns a mechanism allowing different adjustment ranges to be defined while preserving a large number of identical components in the adjustment mechanism.
In a hospital bed, including those used in nursing homes and other healthcare facilities, it is known to be able to adjust the height of the sleeping surface (e.g., the patient's mattress). For example, the sleeping surface is placed relatively low so that the patient can easily get up by himself, if permitted to do so, or even lower to limit the risk of injury in the event of a fall. Otherwise, it is possible to raise the sleeping surface (and, in some instances, lowering the side rails) so that the patient can be more easily reached by the healthcare personnel. A raised position is also convenient for the lateral transfer of the patient to or from a stretcher. Finally, in some cases, it may be desirable for the sleeping surface to be inclined.
Mechanisms that are built into the end panels of the bed to enable these adjustments are known. In some known hospital beds, a mattress support is adjustable in height by being attached to at least one end panel of adjustable height operated by an actuating cylinder. The end panel comprises a lower frame resting on the floor and a movable upper frame to which the mattress support is attached. Thus, the position and/or incline of the sleeping surface can be adjusted, but the amplitude of the range of adjustment is limited to that of said actuating cylinder installed between the two frames. As a result, the sleeping surface has a minimum lower position, and a maximum upper position situated at a given distance above said lower position.
Depending on the nature of the treatment, it may be desirable to have a bed capable of offering a greater amplitude of adjustment, for example, to obtain a lower position and limit injuries to the patient in the event of a fall. The use of an actuating cylinder of greater extension would involve modifying the dimensions of practically all the other elements of the end panel. Moreover, the use of an actuating cylinder of this type would make it difficult to install it in the space allowed. A result would be higher manufacturing costs due to the need to manufacture and store a greater number of parts.